The Fading of The Cherry Blossoms
by Serena x3
Summary: The story of a young girl who's life is slowly fading away..


_**The Fading of Cherry Blossoms**_

**Scene 1**

**Narrator**: Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, but in autumn, they gently fall to the ground and slowly start fade away…Similar to how Kokoro's life has crescently bloomed, but is now starting to carefully come to it's end (to be less dramatic, to it's depressing point)… _Winks_

_Scene Kokoro's stepmother's dining room_

_Kokoro carefully sets the food on the table in front of her stepmother and younger stepbrother and stepsister_

**Kokoro**: Dinner is served. _In a small voice_

_Stepmother looks at food_

**Stepmother: **What is this! You are a filthy, good-for-nothing daughter! It's a no wonder your mother had abandoned you! This thing you call..._food_, could probably even pass for garbage! Are you trying to poison us!

_Stepmother pushes the food and plates off the table, plates break_

**Kokoro:** But this food took me two hours to prepare, and you haven't even tasted it yet!

**Stepmother:** Well, then spend two more! I wouldn't want to risk my life tasting your nasty food.

_Stepmother faces her children_

**Stepmother: **Let's go, we are going to be eating out tonight. _Sternly_

_Faces Kokoro_

**Stepmother: **You, on the other hand, can eat this…garbage and poison yourself for all I care. _Uses head to point at the spilled food on the ground_ Oh, and if you ever want to try poisoning me again, you know what's going to happen. _Points at a stick leaning against the wall_

**Kokoro: **B-b-but, I wasn't trying to pois—

_Stepmother heads toward the door and motions her hands for her children to follow her and then strides out the door before Kokoro can finish her sentence_

**Scene 2**

**Narrator**: It was the very first day of ninth grade (or high school) and Sakura had to look absolutely perfect. Sakura attended an all-girls private school in Kyushu, Japan and lived in an enormous penthouse in downtown. She was your typical, ever so popular, snobby and of course, spoiled girl.

_Scene Sakura's bedroom, very spacious and rich_

_Sakura slips on a pair of expensive new shoes and checks them out in her full length mirror_

**Sakura:** _Says to her dog_ The school uniforms we have to wear are so…blah; we shouldn't be forced to wear these ugly pieces of clothing! Besides, they clash with my new shoes. _Pouts_

_A voice comes over the intercom_

**Voice**: Sakura honey, hurry and come down for breakfast or you're going to be late for school!

_Sakura pushes button on the intercom_

**Sakura**: But, I'm not even ready yet! I still have to brush my hair, find a pair of nice shoes, and _glances at her nails_ oh my gosh, one of my nails chipped! I need to get to the salon _right now_!

**Voice**: We can go to the salon after school, sweetie, now hurry up and come down for breakfast before you're late for school!

_Sakura starts filing her nails while looking in her closet furiously for a pair of shoes_, _she finally picks out a pair of shoes, dumps them onto the ground, slips them on, pouts as she look at them in the mirror and mumbles_

**Sakura: **This weekend, I _have_ to go to the mall to get new shoes.

_Then heads down for breakfast_

**Scene 3**

_Scene A classroom in Tatsuke High School, class has just begun and everyone is still filing into the room_

**Sakura**: _Laughs_ Haha, Kokoro, your family is so poor; they can't even afford a _backpack_ for you! _Sakura points at a grocery bag filled with schoolbooks and supplies in Kokoro's hand_

**Narrator**: Kokoro was tired of having to put up with Sakura, she made fun of her everyday, and every day, Kokoro would just stand there and let Sakura and her snobby friends laugh at her. Today, Kokoro decided that she was going to stand up for herself.

**Kokoro**: Shut up, at least I'm not as stuck-up and conceited as you!

**Sakura:** Well, at least I don't use a _plastic grocery bag_ for a backpack!

_Sakura's friends behind Sakura, laugh_

_Teacher walks in the classroom and uses a stick to bang on the chalkboard to quiet everyone down_, _everyone is silent immediately_

**Ms. Yasuko: **Thank you. As you know, today is the first day of school; I praise that all of you will behave to make a good impression on your new teachers! _smiles cheerfully_ Hopefully, everyone all received their class schedule in the mail, correct? _everyone nods their heads_ Is there anyone who did not receive their schedule?

_Kokoro raises her hand_

**Ms. Yasuko**: Oh yes, I almost forgot, Kokoro! The school district said that had trouble finding your address, so they gave me your schedule to give to you. Sorry about that! _Speaks while searching through a drawer in her desk_

_Hands Kokoro an envelope_

**Kokoro**: It's okay. _Speaks quietly_

**Narrator**: While Ms. Yasuko handed Kokoro the envelope, she noticed that Kokoro had a deep, red scar on her face.

**Ms. Yasuko: **Oh, Kokoro! What happened to your face? Are you alright?

**Kokoro**: Yes, I'm fine.

**Ms. Yasuko**: Are you sure?

_Kokoro hesitates_

**Kokoro**: Yes, I just…tripped, that's all.

**Ms. Yasuko: **Alright then.

_Bell rings_

**Ms. Yasuko: **Wow, class goes so fast when you're having so much fun! Everyone may be dismissed.

**Scene 4**

_Scene – Hallways of Tatsuke High School, Sakura and her friend, Chiyori are passing by Kokoro's locker during passing period_

**Sakura**: Hey Kokoro!

**Kokoro**: Hi, um…Sakura.

**Sakura: **Wow, your outfit is so unique!

**Chiyori (Sakura's Friend): **It is?

_Sakura nudges Chiyori_

**Chiyori**: Oh, yeah! It's so…different! _Smiles_

**Kokoro**: Thanks! _Grins_

**Sakura:** I meant it in a bad way, it's so unique, you know, like no one wears this style anymore, its _soo_ ten years ago! Wait, did I say ten? I meant a hundred, like in the prehistoric times where they used to wear ugly, cheap stuff!

_Chiyori giggles_

_Kokoro bites her lip like she's about to cry_, _and then kicks Sakura_

**Sakura**: Oww, oh my gosh, what was that for!

**Kokoro**: _Mumbles to herself_ For being such a stuck up retard.

**Sakura:** And you say _I'm_ a retard, look at your outfit.

**Sakura:** Well, I have no time for the ahem lower class. _To Chiyori_ Come on, let's go.

**Chiyori**: Yeah. _sticks her tongue out at Kokoro_

_Sakura and Chiyori leave the stage_

**Scene 5**

_Scene – In a classroom, class has just begun not long ago and the teacher is starting to speak_

**Mr. Taisuke: **Hello everyone, welcome to the ninth grade. I and many other students that have had me in the past years would probably define me as a strict but fair teacher. I absolutely do **not** tolerate goofiness, and I expect all my students to be respectful to everyone, to _me_, especially. I will be handing out a list of materials and supplies that you will need for the following school year, also enclosed is a list of expectations that I am expecting every one of you to meet at least by mid-semester.

_Mr. Taisuke grabs a stack of papers off his desk and starts handing them out to the students_

_After he finishes handing out the papers, he asks_

**Mr. Taisuke: **Does anyone have any questions?

_Kokoro raises her hand_

**Mr. Taisuke: **Yes?

**Kokoro**: Um…what if you can't…afford all the supplies?

_Sakura and her friends snicker_

**Mr. Taisuke:** Oh I'm sure you have all these supplies at home. They're very basic, pencil, paper, markers, etc…

_Sakura raises her hand_

**Mr. Taisuke**: Yes, Saiko?

**Sakura: **I'm not Sai—

**Mr. Taisuke**: Oh yes, sorry about that, I once had a student named Saiko, she reminds me quite a bit of you. Do you have a question?

**Sakura:** No, but I just wanted to say that I could give Kokoro some of my school supplies from last year, since she's so _poor_ and all… _Smiles innocently_

**Mr. Taisuke**: Oh, That's so thoughtful and generous of you! I suppose you can, but you'll have to talk to her after class.

**Mr. Taisuke**: _To the class_ Now that's the kind of student I look forward to teaching. _Glances at Sakura_ _and then at the clock_ Wow, time sure passes by fast. Now, everyone, please take the time to review the sheet I just gave you, it states all the rules and standards that I will be expecting from all of you, there will be a closed-note test on the sheet tomorrow.

_Everyone groans_

**Scene 6**

_Scene – Kokoro's stepmother's house_

_Kokoro's stepmother is knitting, her daughter and son are sitting facing each other, playing a game of chopsticks, Kokoro is watching them_

**Stepmother: **So how was your first day at school? _Continues looking down and knitting while she speaks_

**Narrator**: Kokoro didn't want to say too much as to get her stepmother angry.

**Kokoro**: It was alright.

**Stepmother**: _Snaps_ I wasn't asking you! Who cares how _your_ day at school was anyway! _Looks at her children_

**Seito (Kokoro's younger stepbrother)**: School fun! Ms. Yasumi teach me to how spell cat! K-A-T! _Smiles and looks proud_

**Kokoro: **_Murmurs_ You said it wrong, it's '_C_-A' –

**Stepmother**: You have no need to correct Seito! He knows the correct spelling perfectly well! Don't encourage him to make mistakes!

_Awkward silence_

**Risa (Kokoro's younger stepsister)**: Come on, Seito, I want to go and look at the pet store! Mr. Chuu said he going get baby frogs to sell in his store!

**Seito**: Oooh! I wanna frogs!

**Risa: **_To Kokoro_ You want come too? _Grins_

_Kokoro nods her head, she puts her hand on the table to get up and accidentally pushes an expensive porcelain tea cup to the floor, the tea cup breaks_. _Her stepmother gives Kokoro an angry look_

**Stepmother:** _Says sternly_ You two can go to the pet store alone, I need to talk with Kokoro.

_Risa and Seito leave the room and go outside_

**Stepmother: **_Suddenly explodes_ That was my most favorite and expensive tea cup! My husband gave it to me with a tea set for our anniversary, and it's too bad that he's not even here to give me another tea set! Do you know how much it means to me! You are worthless! All you know how to do is break things and eat and sleep like a lazy pig! You don't know how to do anything, you stupid girl!

_Stepmother takes a metal stick leaning against the wall and starts hitting Kokoro on the back with it_. _Kokoro hugs her knees and lets her stepmother hit her_

_Risa and Seito come back in to the house with something cupped in Risa's hands_. _As Kokoro's stepmother sees her children coming in she immediately stops hitting Kokoro_

**Risa**: Look, froggy! _Shows to her mother_

**Seito**: Mr. Chuu said we can have frog! But only for the rest of week, we can't lose him!

**Stepmother: **_To Kokoro_ I am done with you.

_Kokoro goes out, her head looking at the floor, she rushes to her room_

**Stepmother**: _To children_ Oh, that's wonderful, sweetie!

**Scene 7**

_Scene – Classroom of Tatsuke High School_

**Narrator:** It was the third week of high school, and homework was starting to pile up.

**Mrs. Yuiri:** Hello class! Well, since several weeks of school have already past, I'm sure it's not too early to assign a _project_! Oh what fun!

**Some Students: **_Being sarcastic_ Oh joy!

_Mrs. Yuiri starts handing out sheets of paper with the project information on it_

_Sakura raises her hand_

**Mrs. Yuiri: **Yes, Sakura?

**Sakura: **Can we work in groups? _Grins at her friend_

**Mrs. Yuiri: **Hm, well I suppose we can, since it's only the first semester, but this is the _only_ project that I'm going to let you work in!

_Students cheer_

**Mrs. Yuiri: **Oh, and groups of two _only_. And don't get too excited, I'm picking your partners for you.

_Everyone groans_

_Mrs. Yuiri picks up a list with everyone's names and starts calling out random names_

**Mrs. Yuiri**: Chiaki, you're going to be with… _Glances at list_ Midori. Fuji, you are partners with… _Glances at list_ Hikaru. Taeko, you're with… _Glances at list again_ Naeko. _Sighs_ I'm just going to call out random names and that will be your partner. Don't even think about changing partners because I'm going to write them down!

Katsuki, Naru

Akina, Kiki

Yoshimitsu, Okito

Etsuya, Norikazu

Kiichi, Ayumi

Chizuru, Erika

Izumi, Sako

Karina, Michiyo

Sakura _Sakura crosses her fingers_, Kokoro

**Sakura: **What!

**Mrs. Yuiri**: Kokoro.

**Sakura: **B-b-but…I _can't_ be with her! Out of all the people in this class, why did you have to choose _her_? _Looks at Kokoro and seems disgusted_

**Mrs. Yuiri:** And out of all the people I thought that _you_ would be the one that would be the best sport.

_Sakura pouts_

**Mrs. Yuiri: **Well, that concludes all the groups, since you guys are going to be doing it in groups, I expect this project to be turned in no later than next Thursday.

**Karina (a student**): But, it's still _so _early in the semester, and one week isn't enough!

**Mrs. Yuiri**: Welcome to ninth grade.

_Everyone groans_

**Scene 8**

_Scene – In front of Tatsuke High School (after school)_

**Sakura: **Okay, since you don't want to work with me, and obviously, I don't want to work with you, why don't I just get daddy to hire someone to do the project for us? _Smiles in a phony way_

**Kokoro**: _Protests_ But that would be cheating, and Mrs. Yuiri would probably find out anyway…

**Sakura: **Fine, be Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes. I don't want any of my friends to catch _you_ hanging out at my house, so we're going to work on the project at your house.

**Kokoro**: _Immediately responds_ I can't!

**Sakura: **Grrr…fine, meet me at my house tomorrow after school. _Sakura hands Kokoro a piece of paper with her address on it_

**Kokoro**: I don't know if I can make it tomorrow, but I'll try.

**Sakura: **Whatever.

**Scene 9**

_Scene – Kokoro's stepmother's house_

_Kokoro has prepared dinner (like usual) and is placing the steaming plates of food on the table in front of her stepmother and younger step brother and sister_

**Narrator:** Kokoro has spent three hours preparing dinner for it to taste extra good, since she wanted her stepmother to be in a good mood so her stepmother would let her go to Sakura's house tomorrow after school.

**Kokoro**: _Speaks softly_ I hope you enjoy your meal.

**Stepmother**: I _better_ enjoy my meal.

**Seito**: Ooh, smells good!

**Risa:** Yummy!

_After Kokoro finishes serving the food, she stands there_

**Stepmother**: What are you waiting for? Go to your room!

**Kokoro**: I was wondering…if I could go to my friend's house tomorrow. Please?

**Stepmother**: Why? So you can go and do each other's hair and makeover each other? You don't need to look pretty, there's nothing you can do to make yourself look pretty, you're already too ugly anyway. I don't want you to be turning out like your mother, caring only about her looks and always staring at her reflection in the mirror!

**Kokoro:** _Continues speaking softly_ I have to work on a project for school.

**Stepmother:** Who cares about _your_ education! I've already decided your future, you can be a maid. The outfit really suits you anyway.

**Kokoro**: Please?

**Stepmother: **Fine. But you must be home before 6 o' clock or else you know what will happen.

**Kokoro:** Okay, thank you.

**Scene 10**

_Scene – Sakura's bedroom, everything is very spacious and nice_

_Sakura and Kokoro enter the room, Kokoro looks around her room in awe_

**Kokoro**: Wow…your room is so…beautiful!

**Sakura**: Yeah, I guess. I've been trying to talk daddy into getting an indoor hot tub in here, but he's been so busy lately. Anyway…what do you want to do? A poster board or a model, or what?

**Kokoro**: I don't really care – it's all up to you.

**Sakura: **Well, I'm not that good at art and clay modeling and all that stuff, so let's just do a poster board.

_Sakura walks over to the intercom on her wall and pushes a button_

**Sakura: **_Speaks into the intercom_ Jay, can you go to the office store and get me a poster board?

**Jay (Sakura's Personal Servant)**: Sure.

**Kokoro**: _Sighs_ Your life is so…perfect. I mean, you have a beautiful house, and you can just tell your servants to do anything you want them to and they'll do it! It must be great to be you!

_Sakura frowns a little_

**Sakura**: Duh.

_A few minutes later, Jay comes in with a white poster board in his hand, he hands Sakura the poster board_

**Jay:** Here you go.

_Sakura snatches the board_

**Sakura: **Took you long enough.

_Jay leaves the room_

**Sakura: **Okay…so where should we start?

**Kokoro:** I think we should plan it out on a piece of paper first.

**Sakura:** But that takes _so_ long, can't we just do it on the poster board and plan it along as we do it? If we mess up, I can just tell Jay to go buy another poster board.

**Kokoro: **Alright.

_The two girls start working and have drew some pictures with captions_

**Sakura: **I'm so tired…you wanna go to the pool and chill?

**Narrator:** Kokoro had never been in a pool before, and she had seen the pool in her backyard when she looked out the window. It looked very nice and relaxing, and there was still thirty minutes before six anyway.

**Kokoro:** Sure!

**Sakura: **Well, I don't think you want to get your clothes wet, so you can borrow one of my bathing suits.

_Sakura sifts through her closet for a bathing suit and hands it to Kokoro_

**Sakura: **Here, I'm sorry if it's a bit too skimpy…you can change in the bathroom, I'll change here.

_Kokoro takes the bathing suit and goes to the bathroom_

_When Kokoro comes out, Sakura and Kokoro go out to Sakura's backyard_

**Scene 11**

_Scene – Sakura's backyard, there is a swimming pool and a net in the middle of the pool_

_Sakura and Kokoro are in the water_

**Sakura: **Come on, we can play volleyball!

_Sakura serves the ball to Kokoro_, _Kokoro dives for it, but misses_

**Narrator:** As Sakura watched Kokoro dive for the ball, she noticed some deep scars on Kokoro's legs and arms.

**Sakura:** Oh my gosh, Kokoro, are you okay?

_Sakura points to the scars and scratches are Kokoro's body_

**Kokoro:** …Yeah.

_Kokoro puts her arms around her shoulders_

**Kokoro:** Um, I think it's getting late, I better go.

**Sakura:** Are you sure?

_Kokoro dashes out of the pool, and puts on her clothes that was laying beside the pool_ _and starts running home_

**Kokoro: **_Yells to Sakura_ I'll give you your bathing suit back tomorrow!

**Scene 12**

_Scene – Hallways of Tatsuke High School_

_Kokoro is handing back Sakura her bathing suit_

**Kokoro**: Here, thanks for letting me borrow it.

**Sakura: **I said you could _use_ it…did you even wash it?

**Kokoro**: Yeah, I even went to the Laundromat and paid a dollar to wash just that because I knew washing it by hand probably wouldn't be good enough for you…

_Sakura giggles_

**Sakura: **I don't really care; I could've just washed it home…Anyway, thanks.

_Sakura leaves_

**Kokoro**: _Says to herself_ Wow, is Sakura actually being nice to _me_?

**Scene 13**

_Scene – In front of Tatsuke High School (after school)_

**Sakura: **I'm kind of tired of going to my house…I can never really concentrate, is it okay if we go to your house?

**Kokoro**: Ummm, I don't think so, I'm sorry.

**Sakura: **But I want to! I never really do any work at my house, and you always do everything and I feel bad…

**Kokoro: **No, its okay, I'm fine with doing all the work! _Grins_

**Sakura**: But I really want to go see your house! Please?

**Kokoro**: O…kay…I guess, but we have to be _really, really_ quiet.

**Sakura: **Yay!

_Sakura and Kokoro start walking to Kokoro's house_

**Scene 14**

_Scene – Outside Kokoro's house_

**Kokoro**: We have to go through the window, because umm, the front door is broken. Follow me.

_Kokoro climbs through a window which leads to a small bedroom_, _Sakura follows_

**Sakura:** Whoa, your room is so…

**Kokoro:** Yeah, I know, not as fancy as yours.

**Sakura: **Oh no, we should've stopped by my house first to pick up the poster board and everything.

**Kokoro:** No, it's okay, we can just draw some pictures here, and then paste it onto the board later. Do you have paper?

**Sakura: **Yeah.

_Sakura reaches into her backpack and hands Kokoro a few blank white pieces of paper_

_Kokoro takes the paper and starts drawing for a few minutes, then offers Sakura some_

**Kokoro: **Here, you can draw all the basic particles of a human body, and label them.

**Sakura: **Okay!

_Sakura starts drawing and labeling_

_A few minutes later, Kokoro starts to hear footsteps coming nearer_

**Kokoro: **Oh no! It's my stepmother! I'm going to be in a lot of trouble! Quick Sakura, hide!

**Sakura: **There's nowhere to hide!

**Narrator:** And it was true, all there was in Kokoro's room was a pillow where she slept.

_The door of Kokoro's room opens and Kokoro's stepmother appears_

**Stepmother:** Who is _she_! You know you're not suppose to have friends over without permission, actually you're not suppose to have friends over at all!

_Stepmother grabs a stick and starts hitting Kokoro with it_, _Sakura just stares, wide-eyed._

_After a few minutes, Sakura quickly jumps out the window and runs to a pay phone next to Kokoro's house and calls the police_

**Sakura: **Hello? Please help! Come here right now! This is an emergency!

**Police Officer: **Okay!

**Narrator: **Within a few minutes, there are police cars surrounding Kokoro's house.

**Stepmother: **What the…? _Speaks _sternly You stay here.

_Stepmother goes outside and see the police armed with guns, there is one police officer talking with Sakura_

**Stepmother**: I knew you had something to do with this!

_Stepmother points at Sakura_

**Police Officer: **You, ma'am, are under arrest for the crime of abusing a child that I believe is currently in your house.

**Stepmother**: What! Only my children are in my house, and I certainly do _not_ abuse them!

_Kokoro has climbed out of the window and runs toward the police, the police officer sees her_

**Police Officer: **Is this your child?

_Uses head to direct at Kokoro_

**Stepmother: **No. I don't even know who she is!

_Kokoro whispers something into the police officer's ear_

**Police Officer:** _To Stepmother_ We're going to put you under arrest and take you to jail for abusing this little girl.

_Police officer grabs Stepmother and puts her in the car_

**Kokoro:** Thanks, Sakura.

_Sakura smiles_

**Sakura:** You can stay at my house for as long as you want, we have a guestroom and everything!

**Kokoro: **Can my step brother and sister stay with me too?

**Sakura: **Of course.

**Kokoro: **But won't your father mind?

**Sakura: **He doesn't really care…

**Kokoro: **Okay!

**Narrator:** …And they lived happily ever after. _The end_!


End file.
